Cooper County Demographics

A map of Cooper County's Population by Race

Cooper County, Missouri has an estimated population of 16,824, a slight decrease from the 17,103 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 87.8% White, 5.6% Black, 4.1% Multiracial, 2.1% Hispanic, 0.2% Native American/Other, and 0.1% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Cooper County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Cooper has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Missouri overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Cooper County, that probability was 25.2% in 2020 and 22.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cooper County is ranked the 63rd most populous county in Missouri, out of 115 counties. Cooper County was ranked the 62nd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Cooper County's White Population

14,773 residents of Cooper County, or 87.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cooper County is considerably higher than in Missouri overall, where 76.3% of the population is White. Cooper County ranks 82nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cooper County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Cooper County's population has increased from 86.1% to 87.8%.

Cooper County is more White than neighboring Howard County (86.2% White), Pettis County (82.1% White), and Saline County (75.3% White). Cooper County is less White than neighboring Moniteau County (88.1% White), and Morgan County (91.9% White).

Cooper County's Black Population

943 residents of Cooper County, or 5.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cooper County is lower than in Missouri overall, where 10.9% of the population is Black. Cooper County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cooper County's Black population has grown by an estimated 2.5%. Black residents' share of Cooper County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.6%.

Cooper County is more Black than neighboring Moniteau County (2.2% Black), Howard County (5.5% Black), Morgan County (0.2% Black), Pettis County (2.5% Black), and Saline County (4.9% Black).

Cooper County's Asian Population

21 residents of Cooper County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cooper County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 2.1% of the population is Asian. Cooper County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cooper County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 68.7%. Asian residents' share of Cooper County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Cooper County is less Asian than neighboring Moniteau County (0.5% Asian), Howard County (0.2% Asian), Morgan County (0.4% Asian), Pettis County (0.7% Asian), and Saline County (0.6% Asian).

Cooper County's Hispanic Population

361 residents of Cooper County, or 2.1% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cooper County is slightly lower than in Missouri overall, where 5.2% of the population is Hispanic. Cooper County ranks 75th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cooper County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 12.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Cooper County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.1%.

Cooper County is less Hispanic than neighboring Moniteau County (5.9% Hispanic), Howard County (2.3% Hispanic), Morgan County (2.6% Hispanic), Pettis County (9.9% Hispanic), and Saline County (12.6% Hispanic).

Cooper County's Native American/Other Population

42 residents of Cooper County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Cooper County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Cooper County ranks 52nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cooper County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 65.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cooper County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Cooper County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Moniteau County (0.4% Native American/Other), Howard County (1.1% Native American/Other), Pettis County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Saline County (1.9% Native American/Other).

Cooper County's Multiracial Population

684 residents of Cooper County, or 4.1% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cooper County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Cooper County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cooper County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 27.5%. Multiracial residents' share of Cooper County's population has decreased from 5.5% to 4.1%.

Cooper County is more Multiracial than neighboring Moniteau County (2.9% Multiracial). Cooper County is less Multiracial than neighboring Howard County (4.8% Multiracial), Morgan County (4.7% Multiracial), Pettis County (4.2% Multiracial), and Saline County (4.7% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.